Price to Pay
by The Dragon's Scribe
Summary: Being a leader isn't about giving orders and expecting soldiers to follow. A real leader gives commands and support and is always readily available to inspire his men to action. But when the action is over and the ground bleeds, what does he do then?


**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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Leo's blue gaze rested on the wooden box beside him. A beautifully woven flag had been draped over the box. His gaze took in the thirteen red and white stripes that stood out uniformly. White for purity. Red in valor. He turned his gaze to the fifty stars that cascaded over a field of blue. Blue for reverence. He placed a hand on the box, causing the desert camouflage uniform he was wearing to rustle with the movement. He closed his eyes. It was his fault. It was all his fault. He bowed his head. The past twenty some odd years had not been kind to his weathered features. Dark circles hung under his eyes and scars covered patches of his skin. Most of his face was kept in the shadow of his uniformly camouflaged cap. Unshed tears formed at the corners of his eyes and his shoulders shook. He opened his eyes slowly and stared at the rank upon his chest.

"Three chevrons, three rockers, a star and a... a..." He trailed softly. This was how he usually coped with it. Just repeating his rank to himself. Over and over again. He would always think that there was nothing he could have done and settled for distracting himself. Always, he tried to not think about the soldiers that had died under his watch. He'd been doing this for the past few years. His free hand tightened into a fist on his lap as his gaze dropped to his tan combat boots.

"Who the hell am I kidding? This isn't what I deserve." Leo murmured as his hand moved swiftly to rip the rank off his chest. The sound of velcro being torn from cloth was loud in the hangar bay of the aircraft. He held the rank in his hand, tracing over the black lines that told his story. He tossed it aside, it fell from his fingers swiftly. Leo's blue gaze dropped to his chest once more. The name "Hamato" was sewn to the right side of his chest while the words "U.S Army" were sewn on the left. An American flag was velcroed to his right shoulder as well as another patch below it with the wing of an eagle clutching a red sword. The word "Airborne" was written above it in black upon a field of subdued green.

Leo dropped his head into his free hand while his other hand lay on the box. Never had he felt this horrible. Not in many years. Every time this happened, he would become that much more detached. He had forced himself to be impassive over the years, but this had been it. The final blow.

Leo shook his head. How he would give everything to be a Private again. No longer responsible for anything but himself and that of his team. No. Leo was responsible for more. He was the Command Sergeant Major, and not just any CSM, he was a brigade CSM. He was in charge of more than he could think of. He'd been a leader his whole life up until this moment. But right then.

He didn't want to be the leader.

He wanted to be young again. Responsible for himself and his brothers. He had thought it was hard back then, but now... now he had hundreds of lives at stake. Every one of the men he'd lost... their faces haunted his dreams. He saw them every where he went.

Leo breathed in deeply and glanced at the wooden box. His best friend's coffin. He remembered his friend had been there for him throughout everything. He'd been Leo's squad leader at Basic. He and Leo had gone through Airborne school. They'd jumped out of a plane for the first time together. They'd gotten drunk and taken in by MP's together. It was him who got Leo in trouble most of the time when they were stationed in Afghan. The man had gotten Leo to do more than few stupid things, but Leo remained his friend though it all and repaid him for it in the fullest. Hell, the man in the box had dragged Leo's sorry ass across a desert after Leo had been injured in a crossfire between Taliban extremists and U.S. forces. The man had been his best friend. His closet confidant. His brother.

Several days ago... that man got caught in a blast. He was blown up. The lower half of his body gone. His wife had called Leo. She begged him to know the specifics of her husband's death. Leo told her and she sobbed. She sobbed and sobbed for hours. Leo remained silent but was there for her. He could give her no true comfort. He assured her that her husband was at ease and promised to escort his best friend's body home. She thanked him, but a coldness tugged at his chest.

His best friend was in that box. His best friend had given his all and then some to serve his nation and her people. He died knowing that it was in service to those he loved. He died, giving his life so that the American people could remain free. He was a great man. He was a great soldier. He was a great friend.

Leo didn't know a better person.

The bugler lifted his bugle to his lips and a long single note played over the great expanse of green earth. As the tune rang through the swaying tree branches, six uniformed men held an American flag extended to full length in a presenting of arms over a polished coffin. Several other men and women stood facing the flag and the coffin. Their hands were raised in a salute and their gaze was fixed on the flag.

Leo faced the flag as well, spine erect, at attention, and with his hand raised in a salute. His blue gaze captured the stars and stripes clearly in their orbs. He ignored the weeping sounds from the civilians around him dressed all in black. He ignored the cold tug in his own chest and remained silent as the bugler played. He kept his gaze leveled on the American flag that had draped over his best friend's coffin. He ignored the painful tug once more. The bugler sounded a long note in finality. The note rebounded throughout the area. As the last trace of sound faded, the bugler slowly dropped the bugle to his side. The flag bearers swiftly but sharply began folding the flag. Leo and the other s in uniform dropped their hands to their sides. The flag was finally folded into a neat triangle that was all blue and stars. No red was allowed to show. One soldier took the flag and turned about to face Leo. The soldier gracefully handed it off to Leonardo who took it into his hands tenderly.

Leo turned about and strode forward a short distance. He halted in front of a woman seated in a chair. He was facing his best friend's wife. It was a brightly lit day. The sky was clear. The sun was bright. The green trees swayed gently in the breeze. His navy dark blue uniform's coat flapped gently in the breeze. He dropped to one knee, his royal blue slacks rustled with the movement. The reflection of the woman's tearful gaze was caught in his finely shined black shoe. He held the folded American flag out to her with white gloved hands, meeting her teary gaze with his own sad blue eyes.

She took the flag with a tender grasp and clutched it close to her breast. She was clothed all in black, her hazel gaze was fixed on the short green grass beneath her feet. Her auburn hair lifted in the brush of light wind that swept past them.

Leo's gaze dropped to his feet and he slowly began to rise.

A gentle touch on his shoulder stopped him. His gaze lifted to meet hers. She smiled a bittersweet smile as tears threatened to flow from the corners of her eyes. Her lips parted and two words fell from them.

"It's okay." She whispered.

Leo stared. She nodded. "It's okay, Leo."

Leo dropped his gaze back to the ground and his shoulders shook as a sob tore from his throat. Tears streamed from his blue gaze as sobs rocked his slim frame. She patted his shoulder and drew him into an embrace. It wasn't until the tears streamed from his eyes that he realized how much he needed this closure.

Leo closed his eyes and allowed himself to weep for the first time in nearly twenty years.

"It's okay."

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**A/N: This is based on a true story from a real soldier. This story is dedicated to all the service members of the Armed Forces, retired, reserve, and active duty. Please review, and go ahead and share your views and ideas of Independence Day and the Armed Forces. I was going to post this on July 4th, but I might be out of town that week, so I'm uploading it early. I hope you guys liked it :) **


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